Thomas Paine: “The union of church and state has impoverished Spain.”

It was become evident, that no constitution, worthy of being called by that name, could be established on anything less than a national ground.

Why is it that scarcely any are executed but the poor?

The Aristocracy had hitherto opposed the despotism of the Court, and affected the language of patriotism; but it opposed it as its rival (as the English Barons opposed King John) and it now opposed the nation from the same motives.

Man cannot, properly speaking, make circumstances for his purpose, but he always has it in his power to improve them when they occur, and this was the case in France.